Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I don't know about you, but politician's statements often sound the same to me. Probably because they're largely written by PR professionals. So it's refreshing to read the guest blog by Martin Heinrich with reflections about yesterday's inauguration--over on Heath Haussamen's site today. I figure it was written by him--description of a Cooper's hawk and all. Here are a few excerpts:

...I was seated off to one side about 50 yards from where then-President-elect Obama would soon take the oath of office. ...The wind was brisk, and before long I couldn’t feel my ears, but I wouldn’t trade yesterday’s memories for the world.

...Occasionally, the enormous crowd would break into a chant of “O-BA-MA… O-BA-MA,” but with such a huge number of people it wasn’t possible for the chant to remain synchronized for long. Overhead, the sky was clear and blue with a just a few wispy clouds. A Cooper’s hawk that calls the nation’s Capitol home circled overhead.

After Chief Justice Roberts administered the oath of office and the crowd erupted again, President Obama began his inaugural address. He spoke of the great challenges that we face and how we will meet them. His words were emotional and passionate, but tethered to the reality of policy. By this time, my toes had become as numb as my ears, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

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